Skopje, February 10th
USAID and the Public Procurement Bureau announced Wednesday the launch of a new system that integrates the e-Procurement system with a software solution developed by the Public Procurement Bureau for publishing contract notices and notifications.
This integrated software creates a one-stop-shop for public procurement in Macedonia, improving the efficiency and transparency of the public procurement system in the country.
Vice Premier and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski said the application of the e-Procurement system is a significant tool in the fight against corruption and bureaucracy, contributing to a transparent public procurement system.
"The system extracts the human and subjective factor in all stages of procurement through the use of modern technologies, thus reducing bureaucracy and increasing the Government's efficiency", added Stavreski.
"This system is among the most advanced electronic procurement systems in the world. Neither the U.S. Government nor EU countries have managed to automate the whole procurement process on a national level. The system in Macedonia has been recognized at many international procurement conferences, and several neighboring countries have already expressed a strong interest in following Macedonia's lead", said Philip Reeker, US Ambassador to Macedonia.
The American people, through USAID, have provided comprehensive support to the reform of Macedonia's public procurement system by streamlining complex procedures and improving the interaction between government institutions and the business community with the use of information technology.
The USAID e-Government Project (eGov) has helped the Government of Macedonia establish an electronic procurement system that fully complies with European Union directives and supports all forms of public procurement, including electronic-auctions. The e-auctions, through which the government seeks the lowest price for the goods and services they are purchasing, have been tremendously valuable, saving the government U.S. $1.7 million in 2009. Last year, the eGov project trained 840 people from the public and business sector on how to use the e-procurement system. Currently, there are over 1900 registered users of the system in Macedonia.
Macedonian
